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Oceans and continents, their names, location on the map. What continents are on Earth - names, location on the world map and characteristics

15.03.2022

The mainland is a vast expanse of land, washed by the seas and oceans. Continent is a geological concept. The border between the continents on land runs along the isthmuses: Panama - between North and South America, and Suez - between Africa and Asia.

How many continents on Earth are 6 or 7?

There is an opinion that there are not 6 continents on Earth, but 7. The territory located around the South Pole is huge blocks of ice. Currently, many scientists call it another continent on planet Earth.

However, answering the question: “How many continents are there on planet Earth?”, You can accurately answer - 6.

How many continents are on Earth and their names

Eurasia,
Africa,
North America,
South America,
Australia,
Antarctica.

In geology, the mainland is also often referred to as the underwater margin of the mainland, including the islands located on it. From a tectonic point of view, continents are sections of the lithosphere that have a continental structure of the earth's crust.

The continent (inseparable, continuous), unlike the mainland, is a continuous land mass, not separated by the sea. The borders of the continent cannot pass by land. Four continents:

Old World (Eurasia and Africa),
New World (North America and South America),
Australia,
Antarctica.

There is also a similar historical and cultural concept of "part of the world." On the continent of Eurasia there are two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, and part of the world America includes two continents - South and North America. The world is divided into six parts of the world:

Asia,
Africa,
America,
Europe,
Australia and Oceania,
Antarctica (Antarctica with coastal seas and islands).

Sometimes Oceania and the Arctic are separated into separate parts of the world.

The border between Europe and Asia from north to south runs along the Ural Mountains, then along the Emba River to the Caspian Sea, north of the Caucasus - along the Kuma and Manych rivers to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, then along the Black, Marmara and Mediterranean Seas. The border described above is not indisputable - it is only one of several options accepted in the world.

Continental models

In the world, there are several traditions of dividing the lands into continents and parts of the world.

Number of continents in different traditions
Colors highlight parts of the land allocated to continents in various cultures
4 continents	Afro-Eurasia			America		Antarctica	Australia
5 continents	Africa	Eurasia		America		Antarctica	Australia
6 continents	Africa	Europe	Asia	America		Antarctica	Australia
6 continents	Africa	Eurasia		North America	South America	Antarctica	Australia
7 continents	Africa	Europe	Asia	North America	South America	Antarctica	Australia

The seven continents model is popular in China, India, partly in Western Europe and in English-speaking countries.
The six continent model with America united ("Parts of the World") is popular in Spanish speaking countries [and parts of Eastern Europe, including Greece with its five continent model (five inhabited continents).

Comparison of area and population

Eurasia

Eurasia on the globe

Eurasia- the largest continent on Earth, and the only one washed by four oceans: in the south - the Indian, in the north - the Arctic, in the west - the Atlantic, in the east - the Pacific. The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere between 9° W. and 169° W. while some of the Eurasian islands are located in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of continental Eurasia lies in the Eastern Hemisphere, although the extreme western and eastern ends of the mainland are in the Western Hemisphere. Eurasia stretches from west to east for 10.5 thousand km, from north to south - for 5.3 thousand km, with an area of 53.6 million km². This is more than a third of the total land area of the planet. The area of the Eurasian islands is approaching 2.75 million km².

Contains two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The border line between Europe and Asia is most often drawn along the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Emba River, the northwestern coast of the Caspian Sea, the Kuma River, the Kuma-Manych Depression, the Manych River, the eastern coast of the Black Sea, the southern coast of the Black Sea, the Strait Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, the Strait of Gibraltar. This division has developed historically. Naturally, there is no sharp boundary between Europe and Asia. The continent is united by the continuity of land, the current tectonic consolidation and the unity of numerous climatic processes.

North America

North America on the globe

North America(English) North America, fr. Amerique du Nord, Spanish America del Norte, Norteamérica , ast. Ixachitlān Mictlāmpa) is one of the continents of the planet Earth, located in the north of the Western Hemisphere of the Earth. North America is washed from the west by the Pacific Ocean with the Bering Sea, Alaska and California bays, from the east by the Atlantic Ocean with the Labrador, Caribbean, St. Lawrence and Mexican seas, from the north by the Arctic Ocean with the Beaufort, Baffin, Greenland and Hudson Bay seas. From the west, the continent is separated from Eurasia by the Bering Strait. In the south, the border between North and South America runs through the Isthmus of Panama.

North America also includes numerous islands: Greenland, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the Aleutian Islands, Vancouver Island, the Alexander Archipelago and others. The area of North America, together with the islands, is 24.25 million km², without the islands, 20.36 million km².

South America

South America on the globe

South America(Spanish) America del Sur, Sudamérica, Suramérica , port. America do Sul, English South America, netherl. Zuid-Amerika, fr. Amerique du Sud, guar. Ñembyamérika, Quechua Urin Awya Yala, Urin Amerika) is the southern continent in America, located mainly in the Western and Southern hemispheres of planet Earth, however, the continent is partially located in the Northern Hemisphere. It is washed in the west by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Atlantic, from the north it is limited by North America, the border between the Americas runs along the Isthmus of Panama and the Caribbean Sea.

South America also includes various islands, most of which belong to the countries of the continent. Caribbean territories belong to North America. The South American countries that border the Caribbean - including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana - are known as Caribbean South America.

The most important river systems in South America are the Amazon, Orinoco and Parana, with a total basin of 7 million km² (the area of South America is 17.8 million km²). Most of the lakes in South America are located in the Andes, the largest of which and the world's highest navigable lake is Titicaca, on the border of Bolivia and Peru. The largest in area is Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, it is also one of the oldest on the planet.

Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, is located in South America. On the mainland, there is also the most powerful waterfall - Iguazu.

The area of the continent is 17.8 million km²: 4th place among the continents.

Africa

Africa on the globe

Africa- the second largest continent after Eurasia, washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and the Indian Ocean from the east and south. Africa is also called the part of the world, consisting of the mainland Africa and adjacent islands.

The African continent crosses the equator and several climatic zones; it is the only continent that stretches from the northern subtropical climate zone to the southern subtropical one. Due to the lack of permanent rainfall and irrigation - as well as glaciers or the aquifer of mountain systems - there is practically no natural regulation of the climate anywhere except the coasts.

Australia

Australia on the globe

Australia(from lat. australis- "southern") - a continent located in the Eastern and Southern hemispheres of the Earth. The entire territory of the mainland is the main part of the state of the Commonwealth of Australia. The mainland is part of the world Australia and Oceania. The northern and eastern coasts of Australia are washed by the Pacific Ocean: the Arafura, Coral, Tasman, Timor Seas; western and southern - the Indian Ocean. Near Australia are the large islands of New Guinea and Tasmania. Along the northeast coast of Australia, the world's largest coral reef stretches for more than 2000 km - Great Barrier Reef.

Antarctica

Antarctica on a globe

Antarctica(gr. ἀνταρκτικός - the opposite of Arctida) - a continent located in the very south of the Earth, the center of Antarctica approximately coincides with the geographic south pole. Antarctica is washed by the waters of the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is also called the part of the world, consisting of the mainland of Antarctica and adjacent islands.

Antarctica is the highest continent, its average height is 2040 meters. About 85% of the planet's glaciers are also located on the mainland. There is no permanent population in Antarctica, but there are more than 50 scientific stations belonging to different states and intended for research and detailed study of the features of the continent.

Antarctica is almost completely covered by an ice sheet, the average thickness of which exceeds 2500 meters. There is also a large number of subglacial lakes (more than 140), the largest of which is Lake Vostok discovered by Russian scientists in the 1990s.

Hypothetical continents

Kenorland

Kenorland- a hypothetical supercontinent that, according to geophysicists, existed in the Neoarchean (about 2.75 billion years ago). The name comes from the Kenoran phase of folding. Paleomagnetic studies indicate that Kenorland was at low latitudes.

Nuna

Nuna (Colombia, Hudsonland) is a hypothetical supercontinent that existed in the period from 1.8 to 1.5 billion years ago (maximum assembly ~ 1.8 billion years ago). The assumption of its existence was put forward by J. Rogers and M. Santosh in 2002. Nuna is dated to the Paleoproterozoic era, making it the supposedly oldest supercontinent. It consisted of plateau precursors of ancient platforms that were part of the earlier continents of Laurentia, Fennosarmatia, the Ukrainian Shield, Amazonia, Australia, and possibly Siberia, the Sino-Korean platform and the Kalahari platform. The existence of the Columbia continent is based on geological and paleomagnetic evidence.

Rodinia

Rodinia(from "Motherland" or from "give birth") - a hypothetical supercontinent that presumably existed in the Proterozoic - the Precambrian eon. It originated about 1.1 billion years ago and broke up about 750 million years ago. At that time, the Earth consisted of one giant piece of land and one giant ocean, which received the name Mirovia, also taken from the Russian language. Rodinia is often considered the oldest known supercontinent, but its position and shape is still a matter of controversy. After the collapse of Rodinia, the continents managed to once again unite into the supercontinent Pangea and disintegrate again.

Lavrussia

Lavrussia (euramerica) is a Paleozoic supercontinent formed as a result of the collision of the North American (the ancient continent of Laurentia) and the East European (the ancient continent of Baltica) platforms during the Caledonian orogeny. The names are also known Caledonia, « ancient red continent" (eng. Old Red Continent), « mainland ancient red sandstone» ( Old Red Sandstone Continent). In the Permian period, it merged with Pangea and became its integral part. After the collapse of Pangea, it became part of Laurasia. Broken up in the Paleogene.

gondwana

Disappeared continents

Gondwana in paleogeography, an ancient supercontinent that arose about 750-530 million years ago, was localized around the South Pole for a long time, and included almost all the land that is now located in the southern hemisphere (Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia), as well as tectonic blocks of Hindustan and Arabia, now moved to the northern hemisphere and become part of the Eurasian continent. In the early Paleozoic, Gondwana gradually shifted to the north, and in the Carboniferous period (360 million years ago) it merged with the North American-Scandinavian continent to form the giant protocontinent Pangea. Then, during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago), Pangea again split into Gondwana and the northern continent of Laurasia, which were separated by the Tethys Ocean. 30 million years later, in the same Jurassic period, Gondwana gradually began to break up into new (current) continents. Finally, all modern continents - Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica and the Hindustan Peninsula - stood out from Gondwana only at the end of the Cretaceous, that is, 70-80 million years ago.

Pangea

Pangea surrounded by Panthalassa

Pangea(other Greek. Πανγαῖα - "all-earth") - the name given by Alfred Wegener to the protocontinent that arose in the Paleozoic era. The giant ocean that washed Pangea from the Silurian period of the Paleozoic to the early Mesozoic, inclusive, was called Panthalassa (from other Greek. παν- "all-" and θάλασσα "sea"). Pangea was formed in the Permian period, and split at the end of the Triassic (about 200-210 million years ago) into two continents: northern - Laurasia and southern - Gondwana. In the process of the formation of Pangea from more ancient continents, mountain systems arose at the places of their collision, some of them (for example, the Urals and the Appalachians) have existed to this day. These early mountains are much older than the younger mountain systems (the Alps in Europe, the Cordillera in North America, the Andes in South America, or the Himalayas in Asia). Due to erosion lasting many millions of years, the Urals and Appalachians are flattened low mountains.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan- the Middle Paleozoic continent, which was located between Laurussia and the Siberian platform. It stretches from the Turgai trough and the Turan lowland to the Gobi and Takla-Makan deserts.

Laurasia

Topographic map of Zealand showing the borders with Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu

Laurasia- a supercontinent that existed as the northern part of the fault of the Pangea protocontinent (southern - Gondwana) in the late Mesozoic era. It united most of those territories that today make up the existing continents of the northern hemisphere - Eurasia and North America, which in turn broke away from each other from 135 to 200 million years ago.

Pangea Ultima

It seems likely that in 100-200 Ma the continents will reassemble into a supercontinent. Various possible scenarios for this unification are proposed, known as Pangea Ultima, Novopangea and Amasia.

Zealand

Hypothetical continent, currently almost completely submerged. Broke off from Australia 60-85 million years ago and from Antarctica between 130 and 85 million years ago. It may have been completely flooded about 23 million years ago.

MAINLAND
or continent, a large landmass (as opposed to a smaller massif - islands), surrounded by water. There are seven parts of the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica) and six continents: Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica. Some large islands are close in size to the mainland and are sometimes referred to as "mainland islands". Among them, the most famous are Greenland, New Guinea, Kalimantan and Madagascar. The continents are surrounded by shallow zones of the oceans - shelves, with depths usually not exceeding 150 m.

CONTAINERS AND THEIR SIZES

The names of parts of the world and continents have different origins. The ancient Greeks called all the lands to the west of the Bosphorus Europe, and to the east of it - Asia. The Romans divided their eastern (Asian) provinces into Asia and Asia Minor (Anatolia). The name "Africa", also of ancient origin, referred only to the northwestern part of the mainland and did not include Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia. Ancient geographers assumed that there must be a large mainland in the south (Terra Australis - southern land), which would balance the vast land masses in the north, but it was discovered only in the 17th century. Its original name "New Holland" was later changed to "Australia". By the 18th century include the first guesses about the existence of Antarctica (which means "the antipode of the Arctic"), but the discovery and study of this continent refers only to the 19-20 centuries. Unlike Australia, the existence of America was not predicted by anyone, and when it was discovered, it was mistaken for part of China or India. The term "America" first appeared on the map of Martin Waldseemüller (1507), who named the New World in honor of the geographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was probably the first to realize that a new continent had been discovered. The term "mainland" in its modern meaning appeared in England in the 17th century. The continents account for 94% of the land area and 29% of the planet's surface area. However, not the entire area of the continents is land, as there are large inland seas (for example, the Caspian Sea), lakes and areas covered with ice (especially in Antarctica and Greenland). The boundaries of the continents were often the subject of controversy. Residents of Great Britain, for example, traditionally separated their island state from the mainland of Europe, which, in their opinion, began from Calais. The boundaries of parts of the world and continents have always caused a "headache" to geographers. Europe and Asia are demarcated along the watershed of the Ural Mountains, but to the south, the border becomes less clear and is again defined only in the Greater Caucasus. Further, the border runs along the Bosphorus, dividing Turkey into the European part (Thrace) and the Asian part (Anatolia, or Asia Minor). A similar problem arises in Egypt: the Sinai Peninsula is often referred to as Asia. From a geographical point of view, all of Central America, including Panama, is usually annexed to North America, but politically, it is often practiced to refer all territories located south of the United States to Latin America.
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY
The word "continent" comes from the Latin continens (continere - to stick together), which implies a structural unity, although not necessarily in relation to land. With the development of the theory of lithospheric plate tectonics in geology, a geophysical definition of continental plates, in contrast to oceanic ones, arose. These structural units have a completely different structure, power and history of development. Continental crust composed of predominantly silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al) rocks is lighter and much older (some parts over 4 billion years old) than oceanic crust composed primarily of silicon (Si) and magnesium (Mg) and having an age of no more than 200 million years. The boundary between the continental and oceanic crust runs along the foot of the continental slope or along the outer boundary of the shallow shelf that borders each continent. The shelf adds 18% to the area of the continents. This geophysical definition emphasizes the well-known differences between such "continental islands" as the British, Newfoundland and Madagascar, from the oceanic ones - Bermuda, Hawaii and Guam.
History of the Continents. During the long evolution of the earth's crust, the continents gradually grew due to the accumulation of lava and ash from volcanic eruptions, the intrusion of molten magma from rocks such as granite, and the accumulation of sediments that were originally deposited in the ocean. The constant fragmentation of the ancient land masses - the "procontinents" - predetermined the drift of the continents, as a result of which their collision periodically occurred. Ancient continental plates were firmly connected along these contact lines, or "seams", forming a complex mosaic ("patchwork quilt") of structural units that make up modern continents. In the east of North America, such a suture zone can be traced from Newfoundland to Alabama. Fossils found in the rocks to the east of it are of African origin, which is evidence of the detachment of this site from the African mainland that occurred (about 300 million years ago). Another suture zone, marking the collision of Europe with Africa about 100 million years ago, can be traced in the Alps. Another seam runs along the southern border of Tibet, where the Indian subcontinent collided with the Asian one and in geologically recent times (about 50 million years ago) the Himalaya mountain system was formed.

The theory of lithospheric plate tectonics is today as generally accepted in geology as, for example, the law of universal gravitation is in physics. Rocks and fossils of the "African type" have been found in many places in the east of America. The suture zones are clearly visible on satellite images. It is possible to measure the speed of upward movements where the mountains that arose as a result of the collision of the continents are still continuing to rise. These speeds do not exceed 1 mm per year in the Alps, and in some parts of the Himalayas they are more than 10 mm per year. The logical consequence of the considered mechanism of mountain building is continental rifting and spreading of the ocean floor. Fragmentation of the earth's crust is a widespread phenomenon, clearly visible on satellite images. The main fault lines, called lineaments, can be traced both in space - for thousands of kilometers, and in time - to the most ancient stages of geological history. When both sides of the lineament are strongly displaced, a fault is formed. The origin of the largest faults has not yet been fully established. A computer model of the fault network suggests that their formation is associated with changes in the shape of the globe in the past, which, in turn, was predetermined by fluctuations in the speed of the Earth's rotation and a change in the position of its poles. These changes were due to a number of processes, among which the most significant influence was exerted by ancient glaciations and the bombardment of the Earth by meteorites. Ice ages recurred approximately every 250 million years and were accompanied by the accumulation of significant masses of glacial ice near the poles. This accumulation of ice caused an increase in the speed of the Earth's rotation, leading to a flattening of its shape. At the same time, the equatorial belt expanded in diameter, and the spheroid seemed to shrink at the poles (i.e., the Earth became less and less like a ball). Due to the fragility of the earth's crust, a network of intersecting faults has formed. The speed of the Earth's rotation changed dozens of times during one ice age. In the early stages of the Earth's history, there was an intense bombardment of the planet by asteroids and smaller objects - meteorites. It was uneven and, apparently, led to a deviation of the axis of rotation and a change in its speed. The scars from these impacts and the craters left by the "heavenly guests" are visible everywhere on the lower planets (Mercury and Venus), although on the earth's surface they are partially masked by precipitation, water and ice. These bombings also contributed to the chemical composition of the continental crust. Since falling objects tended to concentrate near the equator, they increased the mass of the outer edge of the globe, noticeably slowing down the speed of its rotation. In addition, throughout geological history, any powerful outpouring of volcanic lavas in one of the hemispheres or any movement of masses contributed to a change in the inclination of the axis of rotation and the speed of rotation of the Earth. It has been established that the lineaments are weakened zones of the continental crust. The earth's crust is able to bend like window glass under the onslaught of gusts of wind. All of it is actually dissected by faults. Along these zones, slight movements occur all the time, due to the tide-forming forces of the Moon. As the plate moves toward the equator, it is subjected to more and more stress, both due to tidal forces and changes in the Earth's rotational speed. These stresses are most pronounced in the central parts of the continents, where rifting occurs. Zones of young rifting run in North America from the Snake River to the Rio Grande River, in Africa and the Middle East - from the Jordan River Valley to Lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa (Malawi). In the central regions of Asia, there is also a rift system passing through Lake Baikal. As a result of long-term processes of rifting, continental drift and their collisions, the continental crust was formed in the form of a "patchwork quilt" consisting of fragments of different ages. It is curious to note that rocks of all geological epochs are apparently present on every continent at the present time. The basis of the continents is the so-called. shields composed of ancient strong crystalline rocks (mainly of granite and metamorphic series), which belong to different epochs of the Precambrian (i.e., their age exceeds 560 million years). In North America, the Canadian Shield is such an ancient core. At least 75% of the continental crust was already formed 2.5 billion years ago. Areas of shields covered by sedimentary rocks are called platforms. They are characterized by a flat plain relief or gently undulating vaulted hills and basins. When drilling for oil under sedimentary rocks, a crystalline foundation is sometimes opened. Platforms are always extensions of ancient shields. In general, this core of the mainland - a shield together with a platform - is called a craton (from the Greek krtos - strength, fortress). Attached to the edges of the craton are fragments of young folded mountain belts, usually including small cores ("fragments") of other continents. So, in North America in the eastern Appalachians there are "fragments" of African origin. These young components of each continent provide clues to the ancient shield's history and appear to evolve in much the same way as it does. In the past, the shield also consisted of mountain belts, which are now leveled almost to a flat relief or only moderately dissected by erosion. Such a leveled surface, called peneplain, is the result of erosion-denudation processes that took place more than half a billion years ago. Basically, these processes of leveling proceeded under conditions of tropical crust formation. Since chemical weathering is the main agent of such processes, a sculptural plain is formed as a result. In the modern era, only bedrocks are represented on the shields, which remained after the rivers and glaciers destroyed and demolished the ancient loose deposits. In younger mountain belts, uplifts often repeated along the edges of the cratons, but there was not enough time for the formation of peneplain, so a series of stepped erosional surfaces formed instead.
Continental rifting. The most impressive result of young rifting is the Red Sea rift between the Arabian Peninsula and Northeast Africa. The formation of this rift began c. 30 million years ago and is still happening. The opening of the Red Sea basin continues to the south in the East African Rift Zone and to the north - in the zone of the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley. The biblical story of the collapsed walls of Jericho is likely based on fact, as this ancient city lies within the main drop zone. The Red Sea is a "young ocean". Although its width is only 100-160 km, the depths in some areas are comparable to those of the ocean, but what is most remarkable is that there are no remains of the continental crust. Previously, it was believed that the rift is like a destroyed arch with a fallen upper ("castle") stone. Numerous studies have not confirmed this assumption. It has been established that the two edges of the rift are, as it were, moved apart, and the bottom consists of hardened "oceanic" lava, which is currently largely covered by young sediments. This is the beginning of seafloor spreading, the geological process that forms oceanic-type crust. underlain by the continental crust. At the beginning of the formation of the theory of plate tectonics, the question was often asked: if the continental rifts and the ocean floor expand during spreading, should not the globe itself expand accordingly? The mystery was solved when subduction zones were discovered - planes inclined at about 45° along which oceanic crust is being pushed under the edge of the continental plate. At a depth of approx. 500-800 km from the surface of the Earth, the crust melts and rises again, forming magma chambers - reservoirs with lava, which then erupts from volcanoes.
Volcanoes. The locations of volcanoes are closely related to the movement of lithospheric plates, while three types of volcanic zones are distinguished. The volcanoes of the subduction zones form the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Indonesian Arc, and the Antilles Arc in the West Indies. Such volcanoes of subduction zones are known as Fujiyama in Japan, St. Helens and others in the Cascade Mountains of the USA, Montagne Pele in the West Indies. Inland volcanoes are often confined to fault or rift zones. They are found in the Rocky Mountains from the Yellowstone National Park and the Snake River to the Rio Grande, as well as in East Africa (for example, Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro). Volcanoes of the mid-ocean fault zones are found on the oceanic islands of Hawaii, Tahiti, Iceland, etc. Both inland and mid-ocean volcanoes (at least the largest of them) are associated with deep-seated "hot spots" (ascending convective jets) in the mantle. As the overlying plate shifts, a chain of volcanic centers appears, arranged in chronological order. These three types of volcanoes differ in the nature of volcanic activity, the chemical composition of the lava, and the history of development. Only the lava of volcanoes in subduction zones contains large volumes of dissolved gases, which can lead to catastrophic explosions. Other types of volcanoes can hardly be called "friendly", but they are much less dangerous. Note that only the most general classification of eruptions is possible, since the activity of the same volcano proceeds in its own way each time, and even individual phases of one eruption may differ.
Continental surface. The relief features of the continents are studied by the science of geomorphology (geo is derived from the name of the Greek goddess of the Earth Gaia, morphology is the science of forms). Landforms can be of any size: from large, including mountain systems (such as the Himalayas), giant river basins (Amazon), deserts (Sahara); to small ones - sea beaches, cliffs, hills, streams, etc. Each form of relief can be analyzed from the point of view of structural features, material composition and development. It is also possible to consider dynamic processes, which mean the physical mechanisms that caused the change in landforms over time, i.e. predetermined the modern shape of the relief. Almost all geomorphological processes depend on the following factors: the nature of the source material (substrate), structural position and tectonic activity, as well as climate. The largest landforms include mountain systems, plateaus, depressions and plains. The mountain systems have undergone crushing and compression in the process of plate movement; at present, erosion-denudation processes prevail there. The land surface is gradually destroyed under the influence of frost, ice, rivers, landslides and wind, and the destruction products accumulate in depressions and on plains. Structurally, mountains and plateaus are characterized by continuing uplifts (from the point of view of the theory of plate tectonics, this means warming up of deep layers), while depressions and plains are characterized by weak subsidence (due to cooling of deep layers).

There is a compensation process, the so-called. isostasy, one of the results of which is that, as mountains are eroded, they experience uplift, and the plains and depressions where precipitation accumulates tend to sink. Under the earth's crust is the asthenosphere, consisting of molten rocks, on the surface of which lithospheric plates "float". If any section of the earth's crust is overloaded, then it will "sink" (plunge into the molten rock), while the rest of it will "float" (rise). The main reason for the uplift of mountains and plateaus is plate tectonics, however, erosion-denudation processes in combination with isostasy contribute to the periodic rejuvenation of ancient mountain systems. Plateaus are similar to mountains, but they are not crushed as a result of a collision (collision of plates), but are raised as a single block and are usually characterized by horizontal sedimentary rocks (which, for example, is clearly visible in the Grand Canyon outcrops in Colorado). Another geological process that plays a very important role in the long history of the continents - eustasy - reflects global fluctuations in sea level. There are three types of eustasia. Tectonic eustasia is caused by changes in the shape of the seafloor. During rapid subduction, the width of the ocean basin shrinks and sea levels rise. The ocean basin is also becoming shallower due to the thermal expansion of the oceanic crust as seafloor spreading suddenly accelerates. Sedimentary eustasia is due to the filling of the ocean basin with sediments and lava. Glacioeustasia is associated with the removal of water from the oceans during continental glaciations and its return during the subsequent global melting of glaciers. During periods of maximum glaciation, the area of the continents increased by almost 18%. Of the three types considered, glacioeustasia has played the most important role in human history. On the other hand, the effect of tectonic eustasia was the most prolonged. Periodically, the level of the World Ocean rose, and as a result, significant parts of the continents were flooded. Mountains were an exception. These global floods are called "thalassocratic" (from the Greek thlassa sea and krtos - strength, power) phases of the Earth's development. The last such flood occurred ca. 100 million years ago, in the era of dinosaurs (some living organisms of that time preferred an aquatic lifestyle). The marine sediments of that time found in the inland regions, with their characteristic fossils, testify that North America from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic was flooded by the sea. Africa was divided into two parts by a shallow strait that crossed the Sahara. Thus, each continent was reduced to the size of a large archipelago. Quite different conditions existed in the eras when the ocean floor was sinking. The sea receded from the shelves, and the land expanded everywhere. Such epochs are called "epeirocratic" (from the Greek peiros - mainland, dry land). The alternation of epeirocratic and thalassocratic phases determined the main course of geological history and left traces in the main features of the relief of each continent. These phenomena also had a great impact on the animal and plant world. The course of evolution of both the physical and biological world was also determined by changes in the area of the oceans. During the thalassocratic phases, an oceanic climate was formed with moisture-saturated air masses penetrating the land. As a result, the average temperature on Earth was at least 5.5°C warmer than today. Glaciers existed only in very high mountains. Conditions on all continents were more or less uniform, the land was covered with lush vegetation, which contributed to the development of soils. However, land animals have experienced severe stress due to overpopulation and disunity, unlike their marine counterparts, who thrived on the vast expanses of the shelves that have significantly increased in area. During the epeirocratic phases, the opposite situation developed. The area of the continents increased, and the new habitats were ideally suited for the existence of large animals such as dinosaurs. The largest land area covered approx. 200 million years ago, which favored the evolution of these creatures. In the climatic conditions of that time with a high "continental index", deserts and red-colored deposits were widespread and mechanical erosion prevailed. The modern relief is closely dependent on the geological history. The appearance of the Alps or the Himalayas testifies to a young uplift: these mountains are typical collisional structures. The Great Interior Plains of North America and northern Eurasia are overlain by predominantly subhorizontally occurring sedimentary formations that were formed during repeated global marine transgressions throughout geological history. In turn, they are covered by a thin moraine cover (deposits of ice ages) and loess (products of the activity of especially strong winds, usually blowing in the direction from large ice sheets to their periphery). It is interesting to note that the plains of the northern and southern hemispheres look completely different. In Brazil, South Africa and Australia, exotic landforms invariably amaze. The modern era is an epeirocratic phase in the history of the Earth, with increasing differentiation of individual continents and increasing climatic contrasts. But why is there a difference between the northern and southern continents? The answer to this question lies in plate tectonics. All the northern continents were moved apart for considerable distances and over the past almost 200 million years have been slowly moving northward. As a result of this drift, they moved from tropical and subtropical latitudes to temperate and arctic latitudes. From those distant times, red-colored soils were inherited, typical of hot dry climate conditions, and many existing landforms could not have formed in modern climatic conditions. In the recent geological past, vast areas of these continents were covered with glaciers. The history of the development of the southern continents was completely different. They experienced the last glaciation 250 million years ago, being part of the pre-existing fore-continent of Gondwana. Since then, they have gradually moved northward (i.e., towards the modern equator), so that many modern landforms in these regions are inherited from colder climatic conditions. The Northern Hemisphere has 48% more land area than the Southern Hemisphere. This distribution has a profound effect on the climate, causing more continentality in the north and more oceanicity in the south.
Rates of erosion-denudation processes. Studies have shown that in many regions of the world there are ancient land areas - cratons, which are remnants composed of ancient sedimentary formations, which are often cemented with silica bedrock and form covers as strong as quartz. This cementation took place during the formation of sculptural plains in tropical and subtropical environments. Once formed, such a shell, armoring the relief, could then exist without change for millions of years. In mountainous areas, rivers cut through this solid cover, but fragments of it often remain. The subhorizontal watersheds in the Appalachians, the Ardennes, and the Urals are remnants of pre-existing sculptural plains. Based on the age of such ancient residual formations, the average denudation rate over a long time interval is calculated, which is approx. 10 cm in a million years. The surfaces of the ancient cratons of the Earth have absolute heights of 250-300 m, therefore, in order to cut them to the modern sea level, it would take approx. 3 billion years.
LITERATURE
Le Pichon K., Franchteau J., Bonnin J. Plate tectonics. M., 1977 Leontiev O. K., Rychagov G. I. General geomorphology. M., 1979 Ushakov S. A., Yasamanov N. A. Continental drift and climates of the Earth. M., 1984 Khain V. E., Mikhailov A. E. General geotectonics. M., 1985

Collier Encyclopedia. - Open society. 2000 .

A continent is a huge piece of land where most of it is land. In addition to land, it includes its outskirts, the shelf and the islands located there. Concepts Continents and Continents in Russian are synonyms.

A continent is a single, undivided piece of land. The largest continent is Eurasia, which has two parts of the world: Asia and Europe. Next in size are North America, then South America, after Africa, Australia and Antarctica.

Continents on Earth - 6

In some countries, a different number of continents are distinguished:

In China, they are sure that there are seven of them, since Asia and Europe are separated into separate parts there.
In Portugal and Greece, six continents are also distinguished, but instead of uniting Europe and Asia, they unite North and South America.
The Olympic Committee understands only the inhabited part of the Earth as continents, excluding Antarctica from this list. Therefore, there are five continents and the same number of Olympic rings.

If we combine not only Europe and Asia, but also North and South America, we get four continents. Therefore, the dispute over the number of continents has not been resolved so far, scientists from different countries put forward their theory and stubbornly prove it. But while the majority for six continents on planet Earth.

History of the continents

However, such a number of continents on Earth was not always. Scientists identify several hypothetical continents that existed on Earth in different time periods.

Kenorland- a supercontinent that existed during the Neoarchean period (2.75 billion years ago).
Nuna- a supercontinent, the existence of which is considered to be the Paleoproterozoic era (1.8-1.5 billion years ago).
Rodinia- the supercontinent of the Proterozoic-Precambrian era. The mainland appeared 1.1 billion years ago, and broke up 750 million years ago.
Pangea- a supercontinent that arose in the Paleozoic (Permian period) and disappeared in the Triassic era (200-210 million years ago).
Euramerica (or Laurussia)- the supercontinent of the Paleozoic era. The mainland broke up in the Paleogene era.
gondwana- a supercontinent that appeared 750-530 million years ago, and broke up 70-80 million years ago.

This is not the whole list of predecessors of modern continents. Furthermore, some scientists argue that in the future, earthlings expect the formation of another supercontinent. Presumably, future events will develop as follows:

First, Africa will merge with Eurasia.
After about 60 million years, Australia will connect with East Asia, as a result of which the continent Australia-Afro-Eurasia will appear.
In 130 million years, Antarctica will adjoin southern Australia or Asia, and the mainland Australia-Antarctica-Afro-Eurasia will appear.
In 250-400 million years, the inhabitants of the planet expect the appearance of the supercontinents Pangea Ultima (200-300 million years, all the current continents will merge), Amasia (50-200 million years, the center of the mainland will be at the North Pole), New Pangea (the reappearance of the supercontinent past - Pangea).

The information presented is only part of scientists' assumptions about the future of the Earth. And today, erudite and educated people answer the question “How many continents are there on Earth?” confidently answer - exactly 6.

Video

A continent is a large landmass surrounded by seas and oceans. In tectonics, continents are characterized as sections of the lithosphere with a continental structure.

Mainland, continent or part of the world? What is the difference?

In geography, another term is often used, denoting the mainland - the continent. But the concepts of "mainland" and "continent" are not synonymous. Different countries have adopted different points of view on the number of continents, called continental models.

There are several such models:

In China, India, as well as in the English-speaking countries of Europe, it is customary to consider that continents 7 - Europe and Asia, they consider separately;
In Spanish-speaking European countries, as well as in the countries of South America, they mean the division into 6 parts of the world - with a united America;
in Greece and some countries of Eastern Europe, a model with 5 continents is adopted - only those where people live, i.e. except for Antarctica;
in Russia and the countries of Eurasia adjacent to it, they traditionally designate 4 - continents united into large groups.

(The figure clearly shows different representations of continental models on Earth, from 7 to 4)

Continents

There are 6 continents in total on Earth. We list them in descending order by area size:

- the largest continent on our planet (54.6 million sq. km)
(30.3 million sq. km)
(24.4 million sq. km)
(17.8 million sq. km)
(14.1 million sq. km)
(7.7 million sq. km)

All of them are separated by the waters of the seas and oceans. Four continents have a land border: Eurasia and Africa are separated by the Isthmus of Suez, North and South America - the Isthmus of Panama.

Continents

The difference is that the continents do not have a land border. Therefore, in this case, we can talk about 4 continents ( one of the continental models of the world), also in descending order by size:

AfroEurasia
America

Parts of the world

The terms "mainland" and "continent" have a scientific meaning, but the term "part of the world" divides the land on a historical and cultural basis. There are 6 parts of the world, only unlike the continents, Eurasia differs by Europe and Asia, but North and South America are defined together as one part of the world America:

Europe
Asia
America(both North and South), or New World
Australia and Oceania

Speaking of parts of the world, they mean the islands adjacent to them.

The difference between the mainland and the island

The definition of the mainland and the island is the same - a part of the land washed by the waters of the ocean or seas. But there are significant differences.

1. Size. Even the smallest continent, Australia, is much larger in area than the world's largest island, Greenland.

(Formation of the Earth's continents, a single continent of Pangea)

2. Education. All continents have a tiled origin. According to scientists, there was once a single continent - Pangea. Then, as a result of the split, 2 continents appeared - Gondwana and Laurasia, which later split into 6 more parts. The theory is confirmed both by geological surveys and by the shape of the continents. Many of them can be put together like a puzzle.

Islands are formed in many ways. There are those that, like the continents, are located on the fragments of the most ancient lithospheric plates. Others are formed from volcanic lava. Still others - as a result of the activity of polyps (coral islands).

3. Habitability. All continents are inhabited, even Antarctica, which is harsh in terms of climatic conditions. Many islands are still uninhabited.

Characteristics of the continents

- the largest continent, occupying 1/3 of the land. Two parts of the world are located here at once: Europe and Asia. The border between them runs along the line of the Ural Mountains, the Black and Azov Seas, as well as the straits connecting the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

This is the only continent that is washed by all the oceans. The coastline is indented, it forms a large number of bays, peninsulas, islands. The mainland itself is located immediately on six tectonic platforms, and therefore the relief of Eurasia is incredibly diverse.

Here are the most extensive plains, the highest mountains (the Himalayas with Mount Everest), the deepest lake (Baikal). This is the only continent where all climatic zones (and, accordingly, all natural zones) are represented at once - from the arctic with its permafrost to the equatorial with its sultry deserts and jungles.

¾ of the world's population lives on the mainland, 108 states are located here, of which 94 have the status of independent.

- the hottest continent on Earth. It is located on an ancient platform, so most of the area is occupied by plains, mountains are formed along the edges of the mainland. Africa is home to the longest river in the world, the Nile, and the largest desert, the Sahara. Climate types presented on the mainland: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical.

Africa is usually divided into five regions: North, South, West, East and Central. There are 62 countries on the mainland.

It is washed by the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The result of the movement of tectonic plates was a heavily indented coastline of the mainland, with a huge number of bays, straits, bays and islands. The largest island is in the north (Greenland).

The Cordillera Mountains stretch along the western coast, and the Appalachians along the eastern coast. The central part is occupied by a vast plain.

All climatic zones are represented here, except for the equatorial one, which determines the diversity of natural zones. Most rivers and lakes are located in the northern part. The largest river is the Mississippi.

The indigenous people are Indians and Eskimos. Currently, 23 states are located here, of which only three (Canada, the United States and Mexico) are on the mainland itself, the rest are on the islands.

It is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Along the west coast stretches the world's longest mountain system - the Andes, or South American Cordillera. The rest of the mainland is occupied by plateaus, plains and lowlands.

This is the rainiest continent, since most of it is located in the equator zone. Here is the largest and most abundant river in the world - the Amazon.

The indigenous people are the Indians. Currently, there are 12 independent states on the territory of the mainland.

- the only continent on the territory of which there is only 1 state - the Commonwealth of Australia. Most of the mainland is occupied by plains, mountains are located only along the coast.

Australia is a unique continent with the largest number of endemic animals and plants. The indigenous people are Australian Aborigines, or Bushmen.

- the southernmost continent, completely covered with ice. The average thickness of the ice cover is 1600 m, the largest is 4000 m. If the ice in Antarctica melted, the level of the world's oceans would immediately rise by 60 meters!

Most of the mainland is occupied by an icy desert, life is glimmering only on the coasts. Antarctica is also the coldest continent. In winter, temperatures can drop below -80 ºC (record -89.2 ºC), in summer - up to -20 ºC.

Salute! I'm sure you're in a great mood and ready to dedicate some time to learning. As great thinkers wrote and said, there is never enough knowledge. New useful information makes our life more interesting. So, the first thesis of today's article -

Perfecting one's mind should be the main goal of a person's life.

Having the necessary intellectual base, you can control the world. Especially in our modern, information age.

People are always divided into two halves: those who are interested, study in order to use knowledge at the right time for their own benefit. And those run by smart people. Which half do you want to be? If the first - then do not neglect the study of new material every free minute.

The topic I would like to discuss today is our planet. Thanks to her, we live. And to be more precise, I wanted to try to find the answer to an extremely interesting question - How many continents are there on Earth. I already wrote an article titled:

The problem here, rather, in different points of view. These are people, there are many countries and each of them has its own views on education, and it is unlikely that in the future they will be able to come to a common opinion.

How many parts of the world are on the map

How many continents and continents are there in the world? And what are they called? If you ask people from different countries, you will get different answers:

The formation of China, India and many English-speaking countries claims that there are seven continents, in addition to the known ones: North and South America, Australia, Africa, Antarctica, and Eurasia is divided into Europe and Asia;
In Japan and the countries of the former Soviet Union, they believe that there are six continents, Eurasia as a single continent;
Greece, Latin America, Spain, Portugal also distinguish six continents, separately Europe and Asia, but unite the Americas as one continent;
If we take into account the opinion of the International Olympic Committee, then they take into account only the inhabited continents, without Antarctica. No wonder there are only five rings on the official sign.

You can still combine Africa and Eurasia into a single continent, you get a very unusual name Afro-Eurasia. And also both Americas, in this case there will be only four. So before you start a great argument, ask what countries in the world gave your opponent the opportunity to get an education. And keep in mind that world maps in different countries may look different.

To question this or that system of education is also short-sighted. After all, there was a reason to choose just such an approach to learning, thus highlighting this particular country. There are always pluses and minuses in everything, but no one ever prevents you from expressing your point of view, and at the same time listening to someone else's.

Listening is extremely useful, in a conversation you can understand a lot about your interlocutor. The most unusual thing is the variety of cards, in each country they are issued according to their own standards, and with their own approved names.

How many continents and continents on Earth

There is such a science as geology, and from its point of view, the definitions of the continent and the mainland differ significantly from the generally accepted ones. So what is the difference between a mainland and a continent?

A continent is a solid surface of the earth or land surrounded by oceans and seas. All continents are separated only by isthmuses, such as Panama or Suez.

How many continents are on Earth?

There are six of them according to the current scientific concept and here are their names:

Eurasia;
Africa;
Australia;
Antarctica;
North America;
South America.

Even the islands adjacent to the mainland are also considered part of the adjacent land area, albeit partially under water.

A continent is a piece of land that is not interrupted by a body of water, like the sea, between itself.

How many continents are there on Earth and what are their names?

There are four of them:

Old world - Africa and Eurasia entered here;
New World - North and South America are included here;
Antarctica;
Australia.

But the globe is divided not only into continents, continents, there are also parts of the world, but this is more of a cultural or historical concept. This includes six parts:

Asia;
America;
Africa;
Antarctic;
Europe;
Australia and Oceania.

Here you can see photos of various variations of atlases and symbols, and for those who like to study in more depth the history of the emergence of continents, there are thematic videos.

Earth's oceans

But not only the continents are located on our beautiful planet. Another of the greatest wealth is the presence of a huge amount of water, in the form of seas, oceans, lakes or rivers. Do you know how many oceans are on earth?

It is not for nothing that our planet is called Blue, thanks to the continuous World Ocean, which is divided by small archipelagos, but only conditionally. For many years it was customary to single out four oceans, but in recent years it has been decided to separately single out a fifth ocean, the Southern or Antarctic. Thus, there are:

Pacific Ocean- is considered the largest in area, but also the deepest of all;
Atlantic Ocean- the second largest, according to legend, the mysterious continent Atlantis was allegedly located there, hence its name;
Indian Ocean- located in the equatorial belt and is considered the warmest;
Antarctic- the youngest ocean washing the southern mainland;
The Arctic Ocean- is still considered the most unexplored because of the inaccessibility, it is covered with eternal ice. Unfortunately, over the past decades, centuries-old ice has begun to melt, for various reasons, but scientists fear that an ecological catastrophe awaits us soon.

There are various hypotheses and myths

You know that I really love especially if they are beautiful. Oh, if at school instead of boring lectures with a lot of numbers and unpronounceable names, the teacher told legends or interesting events that happened to this place, it would become much more interesting to study.

Most of the legends, myths and strange events are connected with the oceans. If a person has already conquered all the land, then the oceanic expanses of the world have not yet been able to study enough. Personally, I am attracted to the Bermuda Triangle, which is located in the Atlantic Ocean.

I read the legend that I want to tell you a long time ago, and it left a mark in my memory and soul. This happened at a time when the sea was just beginning to conquer, flourished, trade and piracy. When the sailors believed that the great underwater ruler rules the sea and he must be respected if you wish a successful voyage.

Fairy tale with a hint

Once a merchant traveled on a merchant ship that was sailing with goods from India to America, and he decided to take his daughter on a trip. Although it was quite dangerous. On the ship, a young girl listened with pleasure to sea tales about sea monsters and mermaids.

And suddenly a pirate ship appeared on the horizon, the team naturally began to prepare for battle, and the merchant hid the girl in the hold and ordered her not to leave under any circumstances. The poor girl was so scared, she hid in the farthest and darkest corner among the chests with goods.

She perfectly heard everything that happened on the deck, screams and shots. When everything calmed down, she was even more frightened, because if the pirates won, it means that they will soon begin to take out all the goods. The girl decided to change into men's clothes, hoping that in this way she could pretend to be a hare that accidentally got on the ship.

Hearing that someone is starting up, she barely finished dressing and hid. Of course, they found her and brought her to the captain. Seeing an awkwardly dressed male teenager in front of him, the captain decided to show mercy and left him as an apprentice.

For a while, this helped the girl survive, but, unfortunately, the natural beauty began to attract the attention of the team, even the daily dirty work and shapeless clothes could not hide it. And at one point, the captain of the pirates decided to talk with the boy about dropping him off at the nearest port, until the showdown among the crew began.

Unexpectedly entering the cabin, which was reserved for the girl, the captain found her changing shirt. For some time he stood without the ability to utter even a word. Then, realizing what such exposure threatens and, having found the gift of speech, he was the first to decide to get it.

Frightened by such behavior, the girl, escaping, ran to the deck, but then it got even worse. She did not wear a wig, her beautiful golden hair was blowing in the wind and, realizing what would happen next, she decided to do the only possible thing - to jump overboard.

Standing on the edge of the ship, she turned to the crowd, looked at the captain and cursed him. She said he was a real monster and jumped off. Of course, she drowned, but her words were so sincere that the great god of the seas turned the captain and all of him into sea monsters, who forever had to roam the expanses of the world.